Musical Pencil

A couple of years ago, I frequented a writing forum for poets. I was just beginning to discover how much I enjoyed writing and this site gave me a chance to post my work and get feedback. There weren't very many published writers on that site...soon I discovered why. The critiques were usually positive - no one ever really gave suggestions and score was kept - via popularity contest type things. One male poet, sent a friend request to every female on the site and had gathered quite a little harem. He wrote mushy love poems and eventually published a collection, using the picture of his online lover's face - she was married, as was he - but they had a public - online blow out when she discovered how many women he'd been romancing on that site, etc. This collection he published, was what we call vanity publishing -through Lulu press - now, a lot of people do this and it makes sense - chapbooks for poetry rarely make money to speak of and it is hard to get a chapbook published...

Jingle, Jingle - new poem up at Catapult to Mars. Thank you, Thank you - Gordon Mason. Blogger is being difficult and Gordon mentioned the line breaks weren't coming through, but - hey - that's okay! This is an older poem - one of the romantic/musical things. It reminds me of summer and mentions the Crepe Myrtle trees that bloom for months here in North Carolina. I have seven Crepe Myrtles in my yard. Here are a couple of pictures for you - I like how the bloom looks like ruffles. Hope you enjoy - Gypsy Tambourine : http://catapulttomars.blogspot.com/2009/05/gypsy-tambourine-by-paula-ray_26.html

Rob Plath has just posted the new issue of Exuberant Ashtray . I have a poem entitled Sentenced in this issue. It is non-fiction, but I'm glad to say--my father is better, lately. Today, we are going fishing - it will be the first time he's been fishing in thirty years. It feels good to see him willing to get out of the house and participate in life outside his own bedroom. Below is a link to Exuberant Ashtray -there are some hard-hitting pieces in this and I think you'll enjoy the gritty edgy quality of the zine. http://rsplath.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/exuberant-ashtray-spring-2009-issue/

Thanks to a fellow poet, Gordon Mason, I now have a new poem posted. I love the picture he chose to put with it. Thanks again, Gordon! Catapult to Mars - what a great title for a blog http://catapulttomars.blogspot.com/2009/05/epiphany-bridge-by-paula-ray.html

One of my older poems is posted in Loch Raven Review's Spring issue - This poem was inspired by "Late" - a Cecilia Woloch poem - which I admire very much. As I began learning poetry - I followed the advise of a wise man - who told me to choose work I felt connected to somehow and practice typing those pieces - in the same way I practice a piano song - He said -eventually, that music will find its way into my fingers and hopefully begin revealing itself in my own work. "A capella" is a poem written after much typing practice of "Late". Looking back now, I see that I may have followed my inspiration closer than I would now that I've removed my training wheels, but I must say- for me - this poem was a transition into a stronger personal voice and the exercise worked - I'm proud of this poem for how it represents the music that inspired it and for the growth I was able to see in myself as a poet. I'm also proud, that I no longer need to practi...

New story up at Insolent Rudder . This is an odd little piece written in a completely different style for me. I'm always trying on new styles - like fashion, can't decide which pigeon hole I'd feel most comfortable in - so anyway, the piece is called "Cotton Candy Meltdown"- I wrote several stories using a cotton candy simile...not sure why- just happened. This particular piece emerged based on a photo prompt. The photo was a picture of a friend's Pakistani husband...the focus was blurred ...sort of like the outer edges of the picture were spinning clockwise...going down the drain sort of thing. Her husband looked like he was stumbling and rubbing his eyes. On a writing site...all of the "players" that week - had to create a flash fiction based on that particular prompt. This is what I came up with: http://www.insolentrudder.net/spring2009_Cotton_Candy_Meltdown.html I'm grateful Insolent Rudder accepted the piece and also sad..because this is th...

From time to time, I battle with the insomnia demon - who makes me feel as if my brain has been pickled--eyes like those red boiled eggs in a jar. This half-life state is portrait in an experimental fiction I recently wrote, which has been published in elimae this month. There are so many fantastic authors featured in this zine, I'm honestly shocked to have anything included. check out: http://elimae.com/2009/04/Pickled.html J.A.Taylor, Donna Vitucci, Dave Erlewine, Howie Good - the list of top-notch writers featured in elimae is endless.